Search Results for: nagy

Last year was full of remarkable developments in vision science. Important discoveries in stem cell biology filled in key knowledge gaps, while advancements in gene therapy moved optogenetics from the realm of science fiction to reality (check out our top 10 discoveries from 2016). Here are four key developments to look forward to in 2017….

“Discover Your Path” was the theme of the FFB’s Vision Quest educational events in 2016. We visited four Canadian cities, hosted seven different events, and got to meet more than 750 attendees, clinicians, scientists, exhibitors and volunteers! We were also thrilled to live- broadcast our Toronto session about clinical trials, which has been viewed more…

At the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) we are motivated by a singular goal: develop new treatments for blindness and vision loss. This goal fuels all of the research that we fund. Today, we know more about blinding eye diseases than ever before. This knowledge is power because it shows us where to direct our resources…

Today, there are no approved stem-cell treatments for blinding eye diseases. Dr. Andras Nagy’s research is trying to solve this problem by developing a safe and “smart” stem-cell therapy. To do this, his research team is combining gene therapy and stem cell therapy to generate specialized stem cells that have been genetically modified to release…

Story guest authored by Erik Fraunberger, a neuroscience graduate student at the Alberta Children’s Health Research Institute in Calgary, Alberta. We live in exciting times! With each passing day, we get one step closer to safely and effectively treating the vision diseases that affect more than a million Canadians. In recent years, scientists and clinicians have been…

It is notoriously difficult to predict the next big scientific discovery… but, it’s fun to try! Here are some of the research areas that we will be watching very closely over the coming year. CRISPR Everyone is talking about the new gene-editing tool: CRISPR. Once an obscure laboratory tool, CRISPR became a media sensation last…

In 2015, the Foundation invested in research to understand vision, preserve vision, and restore sight. All of the Foundation’s funded projects are “translational” research, which means that the long-term goal of each project is to develop new treatments for vision loss and blindness. (Watch our video recap of the Top 10 Discoveries of 2015, or…

We only invest in the best research. But, how do we choose? How do we predict which research project is the most promising hope for the future? The answer is peer review—a tried and true method that is used around the world to critically evaluate new research. Studies show that this is the best way…

Dr. Andras Nagy is world-renowned for discovering a method to create stem cells from other cells of the body, a breakthrough which overcame a major hurdle in regenerative medicine. He is also widely recognized for his research that manipulates how cells express different molecules. In his new Foundation-funded project, he is using this expertise to…

July is a month of new beginnings. At the Foundation Fighting Blindness, July 1st marks the start of a new research year. While our nation was celebrating Canada Day, we were also celebrating the official commencement of the winning research projects from our annual grant competition. Any researcher will tell you that it’s very difficult…